Anyone in Switzerland

The dreaded MFK, motorfahrzeugkontrolle. Every 2 or so years cars have to pass a safety inspection, like most other countries. The swiss test is a bit more rigorous than the UK's MOT for example. In CH rust anywhere on the car will generally not be tolerated while the MOT requires only rust on the load bearing structure to be dealt with. Mechanical components, engine, gearbox, axles must be clean, no oil drops.

I've imported three cars into CH now. The import test is more rigorous again than the standard MFK. But its not unreasonable. Be certain that the car was sold in CH during the years it was originally manufactured and that it fulfills all emissions regs for those years. Back in the 70's and 80's CH had some of the toughest emission regs on the planet. You'll have trouble bringing a TVR from the '80s, for example, into CH as they were never homologated.

All the cars I've brought in were in very good nick so I had no problems. If you fail the test for some reason, you have 4 weeks to repair and re-test.

Cars that won't sell here (the Swiss like a new car every year or two) or are uneconomical to fix for the MFK will end up being exported to the ex eastern block countries.
Hope this helps
Cheers
Simon

 

As far as a list of tested items goes, genrally just make sure that everything on the car "works". The last car I imported didn't pass first go. The speedo didin't read accurately and the window demister didn't work.

If you're looking for non road worthy 348/355's there aren't too many around.
Normally when a Fcar becomes a bit tired, we sell them on to the poor Germans


Cheers
Simon

 

Simon,

You mean like Wolfgang and his Testa?

 

Its mostly organised by the guys from the eastern countries. They know the dealers who'll take the crap from people here. When the dealers have enough cars, the buyers head over with a few transporters and ship them back home.

Let me know in more detail what you're after. I'll see if I can dig anything up for you.

Cheers
Simon

 

No comment

 

you may be forgetting one small thing in this scheme....and that is you will also have to pass dot and epa and pay import duty in the usa, on these youngish cars.
so unless you have some sort of cut rate method of complying with these things and paying the duty and shipping etc, the eastern bloc boys are always going to be able to outbid you on anything over here.....

and with the dollar in the tank at the moment, you are fighting another uphill battle.....

 

In my knowledge, this kind of business has been quite volatile, the export channels towards eastern europe seemed to be dry now that discretionary income allows these populations to consider buying new or recent cars.
There also used to be export channels towards Africa, folks buying old japanese cars in running condition for 300$, putting them on a truck and sending them down. Not sure this still exists.
I know folks who import "exotic" cars such as Infiniti or Dodge SUVs, but don't know about the opposite. Truth is, you see very few ruins on wheels around, as Simon says.

Inspection intervals start at 4 years and then are shortened to 3 then 2 as the car ages. Inspection rules more or less picky depending on where you go.

 

I AM sure ferraris are going to europe from the usa because of the currency values and not the other way around

 

I also live in Switzerland and I'm always looking at business opportunities in the car market. Let me say that with the US dollar as low as it is now (1.12 Sfr. for 1 US$?) it would be almost impossible to export anything from this country and make a profit.

Also, as others have mentioned already, the concept of "tired car" does not apply to Swiss mentality, especially when we are talking about valuable cars. You won't find a "tired" Ferrari in CH - only "aged" Ferraris which are usually very well maintained and eventually get restored when they reach "vintage" status. There are a few very bad Ferraris around - but they are usually so knackered that they get broken for parts but wouldn't be worth repairing anyway. There are some tired old Porsches - usually 928s or old-old 911s with monstrous mileages, also often owned by dodgy drug-dealer types - but the costs of fixing them up would far outstrip any market value they could have.

You will find accident damaged cars, though. These can be good bargains, as an "accident" car is a black label that in Switzerland a car has to bear all its life with effect on the resale value. These often get exported very cheaply. I currently know of a front-damaged (very repairable) F355 Spider with 25,000 miles on the clock for sale at 85,000 Sfr. Not so long ago there were a couple of damaged but repairable Maserati Coupes (4.2l, F.1 gearbox) with very low mileage which went for about 50,000 Sfr. "Eurospares" in England told me they bought two accident-damaged F355s from Switzerland which they dismantled for spare parts.